Korean Banana Milk Recipe

Learn about popular Korean banana milk and make it at home following my easy banana milk recipe!

When I was a child, I went nuts about banana milk. I definitely was one of those kids who didn’t like the regular “white milk”. But I could drink any flavored milk, particularly banana milk, non-stop.

I loved the flavor so much. You see, banana was a luxury food when I was a child. (So was the milk!)

I also particularly loved the banana milk container, which resembles Korean earthenware – hangari, where you store gochujang and kimchi etc. It was just perfect for my little hands to grip. I felt richer when I was holding on to it! Lol.

Anyway, Korean banana milk has been around for more than 40 years now. And, if you’re an avid K-pop fan, I’m sure you’ve seen Korean idols drink it on TV a lot. So what’s the deal? Here goes.

What is Korean Banana Milk?

In essence, Korean banana milk (banana uyu, 바나나 우유) is banana flavored milk. It was first introduced in 1974 by Binggrae and it’s been a steady seller ever since.

Binggrae banana milk contains 85% milk, purified water, sugar, 0.32% banana juice concentrate, carotene, artificial flavors – banana and vanilla. This composition may differ if it is made for export as each countries customs regulations are different. Also, they may have to be adapted for international shipping.

There are other banana flavored milks in Korea and each brand’s ingredients vary. But by far, the most popular banana milk is made by Binggrae. (FYI, If Binggrae sounds familiar, it is also famous for melona – Korean honeydew melon ice pops.)

What does Korean Banana Milk Taste Like?

Like banana? Duh! But you may also taste a subtle vanilla taste too.

Where to get Korean Banana Milk

Check your local Korean grocers! You might be able to find it if you’re very lucky. Not all Korean grocers sell this. Even I couldn’t get it!

My local Korean grocer owner told me that it was due to the strict Australian customs regulations. In case you’re wondering, the above picture was taken by my sister in Korea at my request. 😁

You can also find it on the Amazon US store too. (The container and listed ingredients are different here.)

If all fails, try it when you visit Korea next time. Of course, you can always make a healthier version of it at home using my recipe below. 😉

Ingredients for Banana Milk

1 ripe banana, sliced or broken into pieces

1/2 cup regular milk

1/2 cup water

1 Tbsp maple syrup

A small drop of pure vanilla extract

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

How to Make Korean Banana Milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and has milk like consistency. Serve immediately.

Storing Homemade Banana Milk

It is best to consume the milk immediately as you will notice the separation and discoloration as time goes by. But if you must store it for later, refrigeration for up to 2 days is OK. Just shake the milk very well before you drink it.

Ingredients Variation Tips

To go dairy free, replace 1/2 cup milk with water instead. Alternatively, you could use almond milk, but I personally didn’t think the flavor mingled well together.

If you decide to omit the water and add more regular milk, you will end up with a banana smoothie. (A lot thicker texture.) I find that 1/2 milk and 1/2 water produces the sweet spot consistency.

You can use honey instead of maple syrup, but I preferred the outcome with maple syrup more. I think it gives a more smooth texture and lighter sweet flavor.

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Comments

Hello! I plan to make your recipe for this as well as your Korean Street Toast one too. My question is if I make a larger batch of this banana milk can I store it or will it have to be used that day? Thank you! I am so excited to try these and more. I plan to explore your site and see what other gems I find. Specifically I am looking for jajangmyeon. Fingers crossed! Thanks again for the tasty sounding recipes!

I made this as the recipe was wrote, but I found that I didn’t really like it. I think it would have been better if it used heavy cream over milk and water. I know that wouldn’t make it healthy like most recipes are directed toward how they grew up on. l’m in the US and so I lean toward something that isn’t really good for you.